Source: ABC Photo Archives / Getty
If it weren’t for Deloris Jordan, mother of Michael Jordan, Air Jordan sneakers the way we know it, might have never come into existence. Black Twitter gathered around the social media living room, last night, to marvel the brilliance of Michael Jordan on the next chapter ESPN’s The Last Dance when we learned the prodigious athlete almost passed on a meeting with Nike — who at the time were more known for their track shoe than basketball sneaker.
Jordan ushered in a new era in the NBA with his unprecedented talent, fame and influence. A series of events would occur to make him the most popular sports figure in history — and fashion was the launching point. Jordan, like the basketball greats Magic Johnson and Larry Bird who came before him, was seeking his own shoe, but was turned down by Adidas. Nike was calling. Jordan’s agent David Falk admitted he couldn’t even get Jordan to consider talking with up-and-coming sportswear brand, so he called in the big guns. “I couldn’t even get him to get on the damn plane to visit the campus, so I called his parents,” Falk revealed in the dynamic ESPN series.
“My mother said, ‘you’re going to go listen. You may not like it, but you’re going to go listen,'” Jordan remembered. “She made me get on that plane and go listen.”
The Air Jordan sneaker was the beginning MJ as a global brand and pop culture icon.
Michael may be the basketball GOAT, but Black Twitter dubbed Deloris the sneaker GOAT for having the foresight and convincing her son to keep his options open.
The short but standout moment in the series left Deloris’ name on the tip of the tongues of sneaker heads as they praised the woman who silently influenced the sneaker world. See their tweets, below:
1. Deloris Jordan Immortalized
Michael Jordan has made over $1 billion from his Air Jordan sneakers, and Nike has made over $3.1 billion in the last fiscal year from Air Jordan sneaker sales. Let’s give Deloris that statue outside Nike’s Portland campus like my good brother suggested.
2. Mama Is The GOAT
Not only did Deloris Jordan make Michael Jordan, she made Air Jordan and Nike. Okurrr!
3. Listen To Black Women
Black women know best!
4. Game Changer
If Deloris hadn’t convinced MJ to take that meeting with Nike,
5. Credit Is Due
At this point, Nike should probably have a scholarship in mama Deloris’ name.
6. Thank Deloris
Three words led to the the ascension of Michael Jordan and Nike, “Get on that plane.”
7. The Coin, Please!
In. That. Order
